Whether placed in bedroom, home office, or guest room, modern table lamps add a great deal of practical and esthetic value to a home. Ideal for ambient illumination, today’s table lamps feature designs that range from iconic to innovative, and, with adjustable elements and advanced lighting technology, can greatly enhance the ambience of any contemporary space.

What’s the best place for contemporary table lamps?

Table lamps, while typically not primary light sources, are great mood-enhancers to a room—and for this reason, are ideal for areas which don’t require general illumination, but, rather, which benefit from nuanced lighting instead. A hallway or foyer table, for instance, is an ideal place for a stylish modern table lamp, as is a guest room or specific spot in a living room.

But perhaps the most common room for modern table lamps is the bedroom. The ambient light that contemporary table lamps emit is particularly well-suited to bedrooms where bedside table lamps are highly practical for reading and other bedtime rituals, while also helping to unify a bedroom’s overall design scheme. Selecting designer table lamps as bedside décor is both a design-savvy and pragmatic move.

What’s the best size for table lamps?

There’s no formula for selecting the properly sized modern table lamp, but, as with most design purchases, how the lamp complements the furniture and other elements in a space is one important determining factor.

Table lamps, of course, feature a broad range of practical and decorative qualities, making them both functional pieces and modern décor objects—so don’t underestimate the ability of designer table lamps to transform an otherwise nondescript part of a room into something extraordinary.

Scale and context—where a modern table lamp will reside, and what surrounds it—should be considered before anything. A modern table lamp that’s too big for the surface on which it sits, or which is overwhelmed by the other objects around it is not optimal. So, when purchasing modern table lamps, look for designs that appeal to you, by all means, but also ones that, both in scale and features, help contribute to a well-balanced interior composition.

Be imaginative with modern table lamps.

The variety and relative affordability of contemporary table lamps make them great fun to shop for. Even though they have obvious practical value, table lamps also behave as compelling accent pieces, and, in that sense, are no different from any other modern décor item—like a hand stitched pillow singular designer vase. So, don’t be afraid to go the adventurous route with contemporary table lamps. Vivid colors, unusual shapes, even overly ornamental table lamps are not something to necessarily shy away form. And remember that if you eventually change your mind about the placement of the designer table lamps you’ve purchased, they can easily be moved to another room or space, and be given a brand new life. So, when it comes to modern table lamps, don’t be afraid of making a daring visual statement as well as a practical one.